In recognizing outstanding Police Officers in ACCP’s Member Forces/Services/Departments, Amalgamated Security Services Limited (ASSL) in conjunction with the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) has initiated the ASSL Regional Recognition Awards Programme for Public Law Enforcement. On a yearly basis, this awards programme recognizes a total of nine outstanding Police Officers from member countries of the ACCP, three officers in each of the three categories. The categories are as follows:
- Top Caribbean Crime Fighter
- Top Caribbean Community Policing Officer
- Top Caribbean Career Move
Each of the three first placed police forces is awarded US$5,000.00. The three successful officers within every three categories (nine officers in total) are being recognized at the Annual General Meeting and Conference of the ACCP. The winning officers, as well as the first and second runner-ups in each category, win an all-expense paid trip to the conference to receive their awards. Additionally, all winners and runners-up have full access to the weeklong activities associated with the ACCP AGM such as attendance and participation in special presentations as well as an invitation to all social activities.
These awards are intended to recognize officers who by their efforts have contributed significantly to crime reduction, enhancing community relations (with law enforcement), improving general safety and security and have made an overall difference in their police force, communities and by extension nationally and regionally.
Key Elements of the Programme
A panel of judges appointed by ACCP will select the winners of the programme.
There will be three categories that individuals can be nominated for.
The judging panel will accept one nomination per category per member country.
All persons nominating candidates must use the official form provided on the websites: assl.com or www.asslregionalawards.com or www.accpolice.org Nominations submitted in any other format and/or not matching the guidelines outlined in the nomination guidelines will not be acknowledged.
Together with the nomination a full body picture of the nominee in official uniform must be submitted.
The panel of judges will only look into activities/achievements within two years preceding an individual’s nomination. Activities/achievements dating back longer than two years will not be considered. The decisions of the judges shall be final.
The deadline for submission of nominations is the last day of February every year. Late submissions will not be acknowledged.
Winners in any of the categories (1st or 2nd or 3rd place) cannot be nominated for three consecutive years following their award.
Top Caribbean Crime Fighter:
To ensure a fair chance for officers from smaller forces versus officers from larger forces, the Top Caribbean Crime Fighter will not only be selected by the number of crimes detected by the nominated officers. The ratio between cases assigned to any officers and detected cases by these officers may also be considered. Furthermore, the impact that the case(s) detected by an officer (incl. resulting convictions) had on general safety and security within the respective community (and by extension country and region) will be a main criterion for the judges on the awards programme’s panel.
Top Caribbean Community Policing Officer:
The activities a police officer is nominated for must have been conceived, developed, supported and/or led by the police officer nominated for the award. The activities will be judged regarding their success rate, effectiveness, problem-orientation, and innovation. The improvement of relationships with the community and persons within the community will also be judged. Additionally, a list of community-based initiatives the officer is involved in or has introduced within the two-year time frame that the judges will be looking into must be produced.
In the instance of Top Caribbean Community Policing Officer, recommendations can also be made by members of the community (inclusive of private sector), but still must be endorsed by the immediate supervisor, recommended by the area commander and approved by the Commissioner of Police.
Caribbean Career Move:
The nomination must be in relation to an individual’s professional development within a two year period preceding the nomination for the award. The nominees’ professional development (e.g. tertiary education; trainings; overall performance improvement) must have resulted in a noticeable improvement of overall operations within the respective police force and by extension in improved safety and security in the police force and communities. Individuals must have the rank of “Inspector” or higher to be eligible for nomination.
Each application will be judged based on the following:
- Knowledge of job
- Ethics
- Professionalism
- Communication Skills
All nominations must be received by the last day of February of each year and will be judged by a panel of distinguished judges. Winners will be informed in April of each year and will be awarded at the ACCP Annual General Meeting and Conference of that same year.
